Bystander
by Dark Freddie
Summary: From inside the mansion during the masacre


"Quickly," My attendant, Tisuke, whispered as he woke me frantically. The night was black and it was hard to even make out his familiar face. It seemed darker than the norm, almost a supernatural darkness resided over this night. "The master, Master Himuro, he has gone mad!" I stared blankly at him not fully knowing what to do or even think. Master Himuro had been as a father to me ever since I was inducted into this house as a maiden. It was hard to believe such a kind man as he would fall into madness. I didn't want to believe that he had gone mad. I heard screams in the distance, and felt urgency fill the air, any doubts I had would need to be put aside, the master being mad or not, there was something wrong and I knew I needed to flee.

I got up quickly following Tisuke, I could not go in my night robes, so I snatched my kimono from the closet from which it resided and slipped it on over my night robes and let it hang open, belt in hand, as I followed Tisuke out the door and into the mansion. We proceeded quickly down the corridors as more screams filled the air, but the number of frightened yelps began to diminish with each passing moment as if the people themselves were being silenced permanently. "Tisuke," I inquired as we entered the entrance hallway with sacred ropes ceremoniously hung in their rightful places, "What has caused the master to go mad, and what is he doing to cause such panic?" He did not pause in running to answer my question, but did so in haste. "I know not about what has caused the master to go mad, but he is slaughtering all the inhabitants of this house, family, servants, priests and maidens alike, all in cold blood." I gasped in surprise, what could have possibly happened to him that might cause him to kill those whom he knew so well and some whom he even loved?

We entered the entrance room to find it in a state of dismay. The walls had holes carved into them and entire beams were sliced through or shattered into splinters, as if a demon had come into the mansion and slashed through them with inhuman strength of some kind. Blood spattered the walls as though it had been painted on violently with a brush. One of the fallen pillars had crashed down in front of the door impeding our passage, and making Tisuke's face wrench with concern. He furrowed his brow and looked to be in deep consideration. "Where are we to go now?" I inquired beginning to feel fear. Suddenly his face perked with a sudden burst of hope. "The shrine," Tisuke whispered hopefully with haste. "Even in madness he would not desecrate the sacred shrines.

Tisuke took my hand again and we began to run once more. The screams which had once filled the now blood stained corridors fell silent. I felt as though Tisuke and I were the only people in the entire mansion now. We ran steadily though the corridors until we came to the small tree covered path leading to the shrine. As we ascended the steps in haste I heard a shrill voice from ahead. I looked behind feeling something ominous encroaching upon us. Suddenly Tisuke's grip slackened and I looked to see him missing his head. His body slumped down showing Master Himuro standing with a demonic mask on and bloody vestments on. He carried one of the ceremonial katanas with him, it almost glowed with the light reflecting red off of the blood covering its sanctified blade. I screamed and began to run. I ran so fast, so hard, I didn't even know where I was going, I just ran. Through the courtyard, by the well, through the great hall, through so many rooms I didn't even realize I was on the roof until I almost tripped off of the edge. Scared and with no where to go I just slumped down onto the edge of the roof. I heard a shrill yell behind me again. I stood and turned, knowing exactly who it was by now. I began to cry as I looked into the demon mask of Master Himuro. "Why?" I said quietly. "Why!?" I yelled as if expecting an answer from the now obviously deranged man. "Die!" He screamed in a shrill voice and then he slashed at me. To avoid being cut in two I turned and jumped off the roof. As I fell head first it felt like hours before I hit the ground. As I fell I saw a girl in strange foreign clothing walking under the awning. She had on a strange white shirt and a small brown dress-like vestment. She carried a strange device in her hand which radiated light. Then I hit the ground. I died instantly, my neck broken.


End file.
